In a recent ruling, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan swiftly dismissed former President Donald Trump’s bid to countersue writer E. Jean Carroll. The decision comes after a jury found Trump liable of sexually abusing and defaming Carroll in May earlier this year.
Trump’s attempt to bring a defamation suit against Carroll based on her statement, “Oh, yes he did,” in response to the jury’s verdict, was swiftly shut down. Judge Kaplan pointed out that the jury’s findings established the substantial truth behind Carroll’s allegations, discrediting Trump’s argument. The court emphasized that the jury’s verdict in Carroll’s favor regarding the “rape” question, although referring to digital penetration instead of traditional rape, ultimately supported the credibility of Carroll’s claims against Trump.
While the outcome of the countersuit is a significant blow to Trump’s legal defense, he remains gearing up for a separate defamation trial initiated by Carroll in 2019. Set to take place in January, this trial will continue to test the boundaries of Trump’s presidency as he campaigns for the 2024 presidential race while simultaneously facing three other criminal indictments.
Reacting to the ruling, Roberta Kaplan, Carroll’s lawyer, expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision to dismiss Trump’s counterclaim. With the countersuit now out of the picture, the focus of the upcoming trial will be narrowed, leading to a quicker resolution. Carroll looks forward to seeking additional compensatory and punitive damages in relation to Trump’s original defamatory statements made in 2019.
As the legal battle between Trump and Carroll intensifies, all eyes remain on the upcoming trial, which holds the potential for revealing critical new details and further shaping the narrative surrounding these allegations.
